Take Ten with Team HPNE: Meet Amy Dupuis
This month we chatted with Amy Dupuis, Executive Assistant about the day-to-day of her role, working with new Managing Director Sean Herdlein, and some of her communication and organization strategies.
Could you tell us a little bit about your career journey? What previous roles lead you to your current position at HPNE?
My career journey started right out of college, with a BS in Political Science Pre-Law, further education with a Paralegal degree. The experience gained from the Paralegal studies really started steering my thoughts of what I wanted to actually accomplish from a career perspective, learning that I really enjoyed supporting those that needed assistance to help operate their businesses and make them successful. Being the right-handed woman, in essence.
Previous roles that provided me with the relevant experience to bring to HPNE include being an Assistant to the Vice President of the Talent Management Human Resources division, an Assistant to the Vice President of the head of a Commercial Insurance Underwriting division, and I was the team assistant for a commercial finance division within a finance company that specialized in federal government financing.
What does a typical day entail as the Executive Assistant to the Chief Executive Officer?
For an Executive Assistant, no one day is considered typical, that’s for sure. Some duties may be considered routine (weekly reporting, for instance), but the days mostly entail accepting ad hoc requests from your boss, and being able to think fast to make sure tasks are completed quickly.
You are currently working closely with the newly appointed Managing Director Sean Herdlein. How has it been working with Sean so far?
Working with Sean has been great. Currently Sean is on his own journey of returning to the U.S. to at last sit here at HPNE permanently, and he faces many challenges logistically at this time going back and forth from the Netherlands to the US for work. My job is to help keep things in line, assist him where he needs it, and make sure his transition is a success.
Your role requires you to balance a variety of tasks all at once. What are some of your strategies for staying organized?
Strategies for staying organized: A very up to date calendar, taking notes, ensuring clarity for every task, and whoever invented the Sticky Note has my vote for absolute genius!
As Executive Assistant, you communicate cross-departmentally with people inside and outside of the organization. What have you found to be the most effective communication methods to make sure everyone is on the same page, even when lingo and terminology can be so different by department?
I have found that the most effective communication method is the good old fashioned department meeting. Getting the groups together allows us all to collaborate together, to speak about issues and topics that are important and this allows everyone to have a firm understanding of what each other’s worlds are up to.
Additionally, due to the requirements of your role, you are a subject matter expert on multiple topics. What is one of the most interesting things you have learned about HPNE, whether it is related to our products or the organization, throughout your time here?
One of the most interesting things I have found working at HPNE is how far and wide this company touches so many vital companies in the biopharmaceutical world, with products that assist biopharmaceutical and biotechnology companies in the production of antibodies, vaccines, cell and gene therapies and other next-generation therapies. The world is always waiting for the next greatest life saving products, and HPNE is definitely part of this initiative.
You are a committee member of the first HPNE employee resource group (ERG) the Women of HPNE. Could you tell us a little bit about the group, and what your experience has been being a part of it?
The Women of HPNE group is our female employee-led voluntary group focused on the support, mentorship and advocacy to women within our workplace. We build an inclusive community that raises awareness of the issues facing women in our workplace and offers development, resources, networking and mentoring opportunities. Being a part of this group has allowed me to meet and network with other women in the company. I feel like I am part of a supportive community, it’s been a great experience.
Anyone who has been to one of the women's group events knows that when organizing an event, you always choose the perfect treats to get. That said, if you could only eat one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Bordeaux. Wait, you can’t eat wine. Correction: If I could only eat one thing for the rest of my life it would be Death by Chocolate cake from Greggs. If you haven’t tried it yet, do it, it will change your life.
What has been one of your favorite places to travel to, and do you have any trips on your radar?
France and Italy have been my favorite places to travel, I have taken biking adventure trips to both, what amazing experiences. I have a trip coming up in September, where I’m leaving the bike at home and instead will be on a river cruise in France along the Rhone river, a trip of a lifetime for sure.
If you could give someone looking to enter a similar role to yourself one piece of advice, what would it be?
Learn the company, learn the culture of the company, learn of the needs, and dive right in. Get to know your boss, all of the teams, and literally everyone you can. No wallflowers allowed, get involved and work hard to be a part of making your company a success.
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About HPNE
As the industry needs grow, High Purity New England, Inc. continues to supply the biopharmaceutical industry with a range of innovative products, from drug discovery and development to fill-finish, including their flagship product, custom single-use assemblies, as well as pumps, sensors, bioreactor systems, storage and handling solutions and other single-use solutions. Along with their own manufactured products for the global market, they are also a distributor for more than 18 brands in North America.
